By-Town

The September lunch will be our AGM. It will be held on Thursday, September 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at KS on the Keys. Again, we’ve booked the room a little longer to give members a chance to chat a bit after lunch.
 
The meal will be a pizza and salad buffet (with pop/coffee/tea included). The subsidized price for this buffet will be $15 per member, cash collected at the door (please!). If you have dietary restrictions that prevent you from eating the buffet, please send a note and arrangements will be made to accommodate, if the restaurant is able. This buffet was the only way the restaurant could accommodate our group, but it also gives us a chance to say “thank you” to our members by covering some of the meal cost. Please register your attendance by email.
 
Our yearly elections will be held, and the treasurer will share a financial report. It’s also a great time to chat with any executive member about what we’re doing right (or wrong!) and give any feedback/input you have about club activities. Please join us…   

Just before COVID changed, well, everything… we had booked Algonquin College’s Restaurant International for a lunch. Sadly, it was cancelled when the world shut down. Fast (maybe not so fast…) forward almost exactly 3 years later and – we’ve booked it again! Restaurant International is a hands-on learning laboratory where the college’s culinary students apply their skills in a real-life setting. With excellent reviews, our lunch is sure to be a treat. Join us on Thursday, October 5 for this special lunch! We’ll enjoy a three course meal (seasonal soup, main course and dessert with coffee or tea) for $40 (taxes and tip included). You will have to register, pay in advance and choose your meal when you register. Once we have the menu from the restaurant, we’ll either send a special note or include that information in the September newsletter; but we wanted you to have the date circled on your calendar. Should be fun!

There is still time to register for the July lunch. It will be held at Chances R on Thursday, July 6 at 11:30 a.m. Please register if you plan to attend.
 
Our August lunch will be our annual picnic. Join us on Thursday, August 3 (rain date Friday, August 4) for our third annual picnic. We’ll gather at Vincent Massey park, same location as last year. Once again, we’ll have members bring their own food and drink, and chairs, but the club will again supply individually wrapped snacks (chips, pretzels, popcorn, etc.) and desserts. And, of course, there will be door prizes! One of the complaints about our lunches is that the restaurant setting doesn’t really provide the opportunity for “mingling” with each other in a quieter setting. We think this picnic provides that opportunity and hope many of you will join us. Please send an email to register your attendance. We’ll also use the picnic as an opportunity to get to know each other a little better. When you register your attendance, you will be asked to answer a few questions about yourself. At the picnic you will be given a sheet asking you to find “the person who has met Celine Dion” or “the person who has slept in an igloo” or “the person who was born in Glasgow, Scotland”, etc. No obligation to play, of course, but if you do and you complete your card, you will receive a special prize!
 
The September lunch will be our AGM. It will be held on Thursday, September 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at KS on the Keys. Again, we’ve booked the room a little longer to give members a chance to chat a bit after lunch. Hope to see you then!
 
We have a special treat planned for the October lunch. More details in the next newsletter…
 
We had a great gathering for our June lunch. Here’s a few pictures of our smiling, happy (or silly!) faces!

June 2023 lunch!

Silly Chantal…

Our AGM is the opportunity for members to see a review of the club’s financial records, provide feedback on activities (though you can do that at any time via an email to the executive) and, of course, vote on executive positions. We have three positions up for election this year – President and two VP positions. … Cindy Daoust has agreed to serve another term as President, as have both Frank Rochon and Suzanne Martin in their Vice-President positions. Please let us know via email if you are interested in any executive positions.

Each year we ask our members to nominate charities that are important to them to receive $500 from the chapter. The chapter supports a minimum of two charities annually. If you have a favourite charity you’d like your chapter to support, please send a note, sharing a few words why you’d like us to help that group and if you have any involvement with them (not a requirement). Please note, our by-laws require support is given to registered charities only. Please send an email nominating your charity and perhaps you can be a Heritage Club hero to them! Members in good standing, for the current and past year, may submit organizations for consideration each year. Learn more about our Community Involvement work, and nominating a charity, here.

As a reminder, your club’s 2022 charitable donations were the Rockland Help Centre (nominated by Luc Guevremont), Victoria’s Quilts (nominated by Carmelle Lecourtois) and Furry Tales Cat Rescue (nominated by Gail Curran). Each organization received $500 from your club. Successful nominations will be announced at the September AGM. We are also dedicating all our 50/50 draws, for this year, to the Canada Post Community Foundation for Children.

A reminder that both the Heritage Club and Johnson Insurance award scholarships to children or grandchildren of Heritage Club members. Deadlines to apply are approaching fast. More information about both programs in the links.

Last chance to register for the June lunch. Join us on June 8 (NOTE: this is not the first Thursday in the month but with five Thursdays in June we thought we’d change it up a bit!) for lunch at Barley Mow (2034 10th Line, Orleans). Start time is 11:30 a.m. as usual! Please register if you plan to attend.
 
Our July lunch will be held at Chances R on Thursday, July 6 at 11:30 a.m. Please register if you plan to attend.
 
We have three tickets left for our fabulous June event. If you would like to join us, please send an email ASAP.
 
We had a wonderful gathering for our May lunch, as evidenced in these wonderful pictures!  

May 2023 lunch fun! 

The Heritage Club turns 35-years-young in 2024 and, to celebrate this remarkable milestone, the national Heritage Club executive asked By-Town chapter if we would host the National AGM in 2024. The executive team agreed it was only fitting this significant anniversary should be celebrated in Ottawa. We’ve just begun work on the four-day event but wanted to send a HUGE THANK YOU shoutout to member Liz Farquhar who has taken the task of finding us the hotel to host our guests, the meetings, the banquet, etc. Many of you know Liz as the former director of Events at Canada Post so this task is in great hands. Thank you, Liz, for helping us. Your experience and expertise are most welcomed, and your time is greatly appreciated.
 
We’ll share lots more about the AGM in the coming months but have a favour to ask… Chapters typically provide all presidents (about 35) with a “welcome bag” at the opening event. It is usually filled with a few items supplied by Johnson Insurance, the host hotel, and the national executive. The bag’s contents are rounded out by items unique to the area hosting the conference. So… if you have any leads on fun Ottawa/Gatineau stuff (maple syrup, Canada flags, ??????) or really anything ‘fun’ we’d love to hear about it. We’re not looking for freebies (though freebies are always welcome!) but ideas and/or possible discounts on items. Thanks for putting your thinking cap on for us!
 
I (it’s Cindy writing…) will attend the National Canada Post Heritage Club conference this month along with all chapter Presidents and the National Executive committee. I am thrilled that executive team members Karen Casselman, Christiane Tailleur, Frank Rochon and Richard Daoust (at their own cost) have decided to join me this year. Seeing first-hand how the conference is run will set us up brilliantly for our hosting duties next year. There will be a lot of exchanging of ideas, feedback, and helpful hints from experienced presidents, and we will also have the opportunity to hear from Canada Post. Canada Post values retired employees and the contribution Heritage Club members make to the Santa mail program, grant and scholarship reviews and they also recognize the image Heritage Club members project for the company through our volunteer efforts, food bank support, community service, fundraising donations, etc.
 
A reminder of our By-Town AGM that is being held on Thursday, September 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at KS on the Keys. We hope the bit of extra time will allow members to mingle and visit a bit more, which is harder to do at the regular lunches. More AGM information in the next newsletter.

There are two scholarship programs available to the children and grandchildren of Heritage Club members.
 
HERITAGE CLUB SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2023
The Heritage Club is planning to award three scholarships to children or grandchildren of Heritage Club members who have paid dues for the past two years (2023 and 2022). The scholarships are valued at $2,000 each for university or college studies. The scholarships will be awarded to students starting, for the first time, their first year of full-time studies. Eligible recipients include dependent children, including adopted and stepchildren, grandchildren, and wards in legal guardianship of active members.
 
These scholarships apply to all Canadian educational institutions which have provincial degree granting powers or their affiliates and at Canadian Colleges or CEGEPs. Learn more about this opportunity here. To be considered all applications must be received or postmarked on or before June 30, 2023.
 
JOHNSON INSURANCE INC. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2023
The Johnson Insurance Inc. scholarships are available to the children and grandchildren of Heritage Club members that have MEDOC travel insurance, or home or auto insurance with Johnson Insurance. Applicants must be a resident of Canada, completing high school in 2023 and enrolled in an undergraduate program for the 2023/24 academic year at a recognized publicly funded Canadian post-secondary institution or CEGEP. Applications must be submitted by July 27, 2023. Learn more here.

Sadly, our chapter will not be venturing off on a fall wine tour in 2023. The response to our note, looking to gauge interest, was underwhelming with only five members saying they would consider joining the tour. Given this, we will postpone this activity until (hopefully!) 2024. Our fall wine tours have always been our biggest event, with exceptional interest from members, so we’re not sure if the lack of interest is financial, COVID-related, or simply a lack of interest in a fabulous wine tour with your chapter friends (what???). We’ll look to add another fall event to the roster, details to follow soon. Thank you to our five friends who signaled their interest, hopefully we’ll have you onboard next fall.

We’ll be heading to Mexicali Rosa’s (540 West Hunt Club) for our May 4 lunch. There will be a fixed price per person $22 (plus tax and gratuity). The menu will be as follows:

• Starter of chips and salsa
• Main (Choice of):
  • Chimichanga (served with rice and beans)
  • Mexican Flag (served with rice and beans)
  • Burrito Bowl (choice of beef, chicken, or vegetarian)
  • Taco Salad (choice of beef, chicken, or vegetarian)
• Churros for dessert
• Tea or coffee

As always, it is important that you register your attendance. Please send an email to reserve your spot! Hope to see you there…

We have an exciting June event planned… Join us on Saturday, June 17 for a fun-filled day of theatre, wine, food, and music.
 
We will start the day at Riverside United Church at 12:30 p.m. We will travel via coach bus to the Upper Canada Playhouse where we will see the matinee performance of Moving In, a world premier comedy by Canada’s favourite playwright, Norm Foster. After the play we’ll venture (weather allowing) to the park by the St. Lawrence for an ice cream treat and (if you wish) a short walk.
 
Then we’ll move to StoneCropAcres Winery for a wine tasting and dinner. You will choose (and pay for) your own dinner and drinks, but the tasting is included in the day. Please note, this is the 2022 menu and that prices may change slightly by June (we will supply the update when it is ready, the winery has just reopened for the 2023 season).
 
Then we’ll stay at the winery for a concert performance by Kelli Trottier. Kelli has toured North America and beyond as a virtuoso fiddler where her vocals and step dancing were also considered highlights of every performance. As well as being nominated three times for fiddle player of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association, Kelli has been inducted into the Glengarry Celtic Music Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame, and the North American Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame. She has played fiddle for the NHL, our military in Alert and the Middle East and several times for the late Sir Sean Connery. Kelli Trottier is a triple threat and an unforgettable performer. After the show, we’ll head back to the church to claim your cars. The performance, weather allowing, will be outside so you will need to bring a lawn chair (if you don’t have one, let us know and we’ll bring one for you) and maybe a cozy lap blanket. And bug spray is always a good idea in the spring! If the weather isn’t co-operating, the concert will be held indoors in the winery’s fabulous barn.
 
Included in your registration is: Bus transportation, theatre ticket, winery tasting, concert ticket, ice cream treat and a small snack on the way home. You will only pay for your dinner at the winery and drinks during the concert. Please remember to bring your own drinks for the bus ride.
 
We think this is going to be a wonderfully fun day and we hope to see many of you. We have thirty tickets in total for this event. Currently, they are being offered to members only at a subsidized cost of $80 per ticket. Your club has sponsored this trip by paying for the bus. Membership has its rewards! Please send an email, and follow payment directions below, to register for this super-fun event!

And, for our June 8 lunch we will be heading to Barley Mow (2034 10th Line, Orleans). Please register if you plan to attend. There are a few great walking trails (including Princess Louise Falls) in the area so, perhaps if the weather is nice, we could go for an impromptu walk after lunch. We can decide that day…

We are thrilled to share that we have welcomed Sheila Watters and Richard Daoust to the executive team. Richard returns to the team after a bit of a break, having previously served on the executive team for many years. Sheila is new to both the Heritage Club and the executive but will be an amazing addition to this already darn-near perfect team! Sheila and Richard have joined the team now and we will make it official with a vote at the next AGM. Welcome Richard and Sheila, we look forward to your input and help with the club’s activities!

Join us on Thursday, April 6 for our April lunch. We’ll be gathering at Brasseurs du temps (170 Rue Montcalm) in Hull. PLEASE NOTE… THE RESTAURANT DOES NOT OPEN UNTIL NOON. OUR START TIME WILL BE 30 MINUTES LATER THAN USUAL. Please send an email to register your attendance.
 
Just a note… we had a few members join us for lunch in January and February who had not registered their attendance. We are ALWAYS happy to see everyone but, particularly in this time of ongoing staff shortages, it is critically important to register if you are going to attend. We don’t want to move to a checking-names-at-the-door process to give seats but, we also don’t want members who have registered not getting a seat. Please register if you are planning to attend a lunch. We typically confirm our numbers with the restaurant three days before the lunch. And a big thank you to all members for continuing to be good members and staying home if you are unwell. We greatly appreciate your care for your fellow members…

Here are a few pictures from our fabulous February gathering…